To facilitate manipulation of image information stored in an image information storage region, conventional image information processing devices display information about the image information in a display area on a display screen of a display device.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-316821/1999 (Tokukaihei 11-316821; published on Nov. 16, 1999) discloses an arrangement whereby a folder tree display area and a text display area are provided on a display screen, and by selecting a folder in the folder tree display area, the information about the image information stored in the folder is displayed in the text display area.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 4-253285/1992 (Tokukaihei 4-253285; published on Sep. 9, 1992) discloses an arrangement whereby a list of the image information stored in an image information storage region is displayed in a display area, and a scaled-down image of the image information selected from the list is displayed in the same display area.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-224259/1999 (Tokukaihei 11-224259; published on Aug. 17, 1999) discloses a similar arrangement, but with an improved image information display function: two display areas are provided on a display screen so that they display the plurality of sets of image information stored in an image information storage region (1) by list showing detailed information, such as image sizes, and (2) by scaled-down (thumbnail) image, respectively.
In an arrangement where, like the preceding one, individual display areas are provided to show sets of detailed information about, and scaled-down images representing, a plurality of sets of image information, the display orders of the sets of detailed information and scaled-down images can be arbitrarily changed in the display areas by, for example, a drag-and-drop using a mouse.
However, the display order can only be changed separately in the display areas. For example, if the display order is changed only for the scaled-down images, the relationship becomes unclear between the scaled-down images and the sets of detailed information, causing confusion in later processes.
To avoid this inconvenience from happening, if the display order is changed for the scaled-down images, for example, the display order must be changed for the sets of detailed information accordingly. No conventional image information display devices have such a convenient function, and the user is hence forced to manually execute laborious operations to effect it.